FORCE India’s Nico Hulkenberg was second fastest on the first day of the second Formula 1 pre-season test in Barcelona yesterday, hot on the heels of reigning champion Sebastian Vettel.

After the first of four days’ running at the Circuit de Catalunya, it was the double world champion’s Red Bull which emerged on top, 0.175 seconds ahead of the Silverstone-based squad’s best effort.

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton was third, followed by Toro Rosso’s Daniel Ricciardo, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and Mercedes’ Michael Schumacher.

The new Mercedes made a promising start on its first public run out, setting quick times immediately Schumacher had finished his early ‘installation’ laps.

The test was halted briefly midway through the morning session when Heikki Kovalainen’s Caterham stopped out on track, and again in the afternoon following a similar situation with Ricciardo.

Lotus were forced to abandon the day’s testing after discovering a problem with the chassis of Romain Grosjean’s car.

CORBY is an unlikely stopping off sandwich point to link San Jose and Texas but truth as they say, is much stranger than fiction.

And so it came to pass at the town’s tennis centre on Saturday when world number 394 rated player Daniel Cox proved it could also be a successful route planner, by winning the £750 first prize cheque in the men’s singles final in the Aegon British Tour.

The 21-year-old who lost in straight sets in the first round of Wimbledon last year to Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky, admitted he needed a confidence boost at a more comfortable level after mixing it at a more rarified atmosphere.

And his 7-6, 1-0 (ret) victory over Andrew Fitzpatrick gave him exactly that, although the disappointing premature finish had not been in the script, the 22 year-old Warwickshire player citing a back problem for his early exit after dropping serve in the opening game of the second set.

At least the set that was played was a captivating one, Cox striding out to a 3-0 lead before Fitzpatrick claws that back to 3-3. It then went with serve until Fitzpatrick broke to lead 6-5. Yet, in what turned out to be the pivotal moment of the match, he was unable to cash in on his advantage.

That two such high profile players should contest a Corby final is a testament to the pulling capacity of the Northants venue.

Cox, originally from Lincolnshire where he is domiciled once more over a spell in Lancashire, said: “I came here on Thursday after playing in ATP tournaments in America and I am flying out to Texas tomorrow (Sunday) to take part in two $15,000 events.”

He added: “My world rating has been as high as 250 but has dropped as I have been competing at a higher grade. These are good tournaments to take part in and this has helped give me a bit of confidence.”

Not that Cox’s vanquished opponent Fitzpatrick is any mug either, having won the 2011 Masters Final of this series in Nottingham at the beginning of December when he defeated recent British Davis Cup hero Dan Evans in the final. In this year’s Tour circuit, Fitzpatrick had beaten Josh Goodall in the final at Billesley and lost in the semis at Sheffield’s Graves Centre.

In the Corby semi-finals, Cox was a 6-1, 6-1 winner against Ruislip qualifier Joshua Page, last year’s 16U national title winner, while Fitzpatrick dismissed fifth seed Oliver Hudson 6-4, 6-1.

The ladies’ final at Corby had a similarly competitive opening set before then subjecting observers to an anti-climactic follow-up.

Last year’s finalists Yasmin Clarke (Derbyshire) and Emilia Banos-Gregorians (Surrey) were beaten in the 2012 semi-finals, top seed Clarke being ousted 6-4, 6-0 by Katy Dunne from Hertfordshire, who celebrated her 17th birthday on Thursday, and Jessica Ren who accounted for Banos-Gregorians 7-6, 3-6, 6-3.

The turning point of the final arrived when Dunne’s fit of pique saw her breaking a racket and not being able to rapidly adjust to the replacement, a disastrous sequence of events which barely saw her win a point for four games.

By this stage she was a set and 3-0 down and the writing was on the wall.

Although only 17, Ren seems to have been around for years, a confusion possibly aided by her elder sister Jennifer, 18 months her senior, who is in America on a scholarship.

The respective runs of county youngsters Jordan Parker and Shakeel Manji came to an end in pre-qualifying last week. Parker was beaten 3-6, 1-6 by Dorset’s Tim Prosser while Manji went down 6-3, 1-6, 2-6 against Samuel Sutton of Yorkshire.

Northampton Saints have announced a trio of new contracts for current players – prop Tom Mercey, wing Anders Mogensen and hooker Ross McMillan.

Mercey, 24, joined the Saints from Saracens in the summer of 2010. In his 18 months at Franklin’s Gardens the prop, who has won honours with England Saxons, has seen plenty of game time in all competitions, with the 2011 Heineken Cup final just one of his 38 appearances.

He said: “Moving to the Saints was good for me and I’m enjoying being at the club.

“Playing in the Heineken Cup final is an obvious highlight, but running out and playing in front of the great Northampton fans has also been enjoyable over the past 18 months. There are some good players at the club and I’m concentrating on improving my own game.”

Mogensen has yet to make his first team debut, but the 20-year-old winger has been identified as one to watch in the current Saints Senior Academy.

Although his game time was limited in his first season as a full-timer at Franklin’s Gardens, he has played plenty of rugby so far in 2011/12, predominantly on loan with Cambridge, for whom Mogensen scored nine tries in his 16 appearances. He is currently dual registered with Moseley and is stepping up his experience playing in The Championship.

He said: “I had a frustrating first year, but everyone at the Saints was very patient and I’m enjoying my rugby this year.

“I’ve been learning a lot playing for Cambridge and Moseley and for the Wanderers, and training with the Saints during the week. Hopefully if I put in the work I can put myself into a position where I can contribute to the Saints first team in the future.”

McMillan, another 24-year-old front rower, initially arrived at Franklin’s Gardens this season on trial, the hooker having previously played for Birmingham and Solihull in The Championship. He then signed a short-term deal until the end of the current season, which has now been extended.

He said: “I’d like to thank the coaches for giving me the opportunity at the Saints.

“Being at the club has helped invigorate my rugby and it is enjoyable being part of a squad which is aiming high rather than battling relegation, which is what I’ve experienced over the past couple of years. It has also been good to be able to concentrate on my game full-time and I’m happy to be staying at Franklin’s Gardens.”

Director of rugby Jim Mallinder said that all three players were promising and provided added depth to the Saints squad.

He said: “We need players who can contribute to the squad and this is why we’ve extended the contracts for all three players.

“Tom has been a regular part of the first team squads throughout his time at the club and we know that he can deliver good performances on a regular basis.

“Anders and Ross may not have had their first team opportunities, but they have both built up their experience in The Championship and are very eager to show what they can do in the black, green and gold.”

]]> 1.3548551 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:33:21 +0000 http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/strakka_off_to_a_flyer_following_test_1_3545907

THE car Strakka Racing will field in this year’s World Endurance Championship exceeded all expectations in its initial shakedown test, leaving the team in good shape ahead of the first race of the season in just over three weeks’ time, according to the Silverstone-based squad.

Drivers Nick Leventis, Danny Watts and Jonny Kane each did two stints in the Honda Performance Development ARX-03a at Snetterton on Friday, going through a detailed pre-planning systems check in preparation for the opening round of the 2012 championship – the Sebring 12 Hours – on March 17.

Leventis said: “The car feels extremely good. It has a lot of power, the engine feels very solid and powerful and it’s good to get back in the driver’s seat after the winter break. Expectations were high, and this initial shakedown test of the car has superseded all expectations.”

Piers Phillips, team principal and technical director, said: “It’s been eight weeks since the new tub arrived at Strakka and the team has done an incredible amount of work to enable us to shake the car down at Snetterton.

“It’s good to be out of the workshop and back at a race track, and the sound of the V8 engine has put a huge smile on all our faces.”

]]> 1.3545907 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:00:30 +0000 http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/northampton_saints_ashton_praying_long_wait_for_tries_will_be_over_soon_1_3545906

Chris Ashton will be on a wing and a prayer when England tackle Wales in Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations showdown at Twickenham.

The Northampton flyer, who scored a record-equalling six tries in England’s title-winning campaign last year, was starved of possession in the victories over Scotland and Italy.

The Murrayfield rain and Roman snow did not help but England have been unable to showcase the new attacking philosophy interim coach Stuart Lancaster outlined before the tournament.

Ashton will spend this week looking to the skies, hoping for a clear day at Twickenham and the chance to cause Wales the kind of damage he did in last season’s 26-19 victory.

“I’m saying a little prayer every night,” said Ashton, who scored two tries at the Millennium Stadium 12 months ago.

“We’re fine in training. Last week was unfortunate because the snow just changed everything. It wouldn’t allow the lads to force the last pass.

“I’m there and I’m running as I’ve always run but unfortunately the lads can’t get the last pass away.

“It’s killing me - but there’s nothing I can do. You have to stick with it. As long as we’re winning then that is the main thing.”

Ashton was warned about the possibility of being marooned out on the wing when he opted to leave rugby league for the 15-man code and that has heavily influenced the way he plays.

Lancaster and his predecessor Martin Johnson both described his desire to play a roving role, tracking play and sniffing out an attacking opportunity as a “unique” talent.

Ashton has scored 15 tries 20 Tests but none in his last three international and England need to bring his devastating finishing ability into the game more.

“Before I came across (from league) people warned me that I’d never get the ball. In league it’s 20 carries every game. I just said ‘well I won’t stand there, I’ll go looking for the ball’,” Ashton said.

“In the end you play the game the way you want to play the game. I just found that by running around and going in search of the ball that was the way I was going to get the ball. Not by standing on the wing.

“There are still games where you’re just not getting the ball. When the pitch is full of snow it ain’t happening. I’ve come to terms with it now. You just have to figure out ways where you can help the team another way. It hasn’t affected my confidence. If it was 30-0, the sun was shining and everyone else was scoring tries then maybe.

“But the games have been tight and it’s just gone that way. I’ll keep running as normal, so hopefully the guys will get the last pass away.”

As Ashton said, England have been winning but there is a general acceptance within the squad that their performance must be better in time for Wales’ arrival.

Warren Gatland’s men, who are chasing the Triple Crown, have scored six tries in the championship compared to Charlie Hodgson’s two charge-down efforts for England.

“They are playing well and it’s our job to stop them,” Ashton said.

“Wales have a big back line and we have to handle them, move them around a bit more, and hopefully they’ll tire before we do. (Wing) George North is a big fella. I didn’t actually realise how big he is until we played them away last year and managed to beat them.

“When he came in after the warm-up I thought ‘blimey he’s bigger than I thought’. But that day we turned him, put pressure on them and ended up beating them. So it is not an impossible task. Playing at the Millennium Stadium was right up there in terms of hostility, we have to try to recreate that at Twickenham.

“As a team we have to have the mentality ‘we will not lose there’.

“We just need to keep playing the way we want to play and hopefully it won’t be snowing, hailing, hurricaning or anything else.”

IT wasn’t pretty, and it wasn’t enough to drag them out of the npower League Two drop zone, but the Cobblers completed back-to-back wins with a tense victory over Macclesfield Town.

The Silkmen showed their frailties to fall 3-1 behind courtesy of goals for Michael Jacobs – direct from a corner – Luke Guttridge and Adebayo Akinfenwa.

They looked every inch the struggling side that they are and one that, it must be hoped, can be hauled into the relegation battle themselves. But they put the pressure on Northampton by pulling it back to 3-2 with just a couple of minutes to go, through a combination of hard work and the home side’s high error count.

Macclesfield keeper Jose Veiga made a good early decision to come off his line and block at Akinfenwa’s feet after a decent piece of interplay through the middle. The big man then saw a sidefooted effort palmed into the side netting by Veiga at the end of a counter-attack that started with an Iniesta-like pass from Ben Harding.

But it was the away side who went in front, as a result of a catalogue of errors in the Town defence.

John Johnson was not close enough to the player who crossed on the left wing, and then Clarke Carlisle was not strong enough as the ball came in and was shielded to George Donnelly, who smashed home from no more than three yards.

It was a horrible mess of a goal and, with Macclesfield playing for time even before it arrived, set the tone for their approach to the rest of the game.

Jacobs had a chance to pull Town level soon after, but his attempt from Harding’s inside pass was blocked for a corner.

Nobody could have predicted what happened next as Jacobs curled the flag kick over Veiga and in at the back post.

Perhaps the midfielder noted the height of the goalkeeper in the build-up to the game – the Macclesfield web site has him down as six-foot-one, but that looks generous.

Johnson atoned for his earlier mistake as the home defence continued an error-strewn existence, sliding in to deny Donnelly in the box after Carlisle’s slip.

Guttridge put the home side in front when he headed in from inside the six-yard box, and even he looked surprised about how much space he had. Harding’s free-kick in was good but the marking was non-existent, almost to the point where it was the perfect example of how not to defend a set play.

There was more evidence of the Silkmen’s softer side after only seven minutes of the second half, when they watched Johnson clip across into Akinfenwa, who had time to chest it, turn and dispatch it beyond Veiga.

Johnson produced another superb saving tackle soon after that when Ben Tomlinson looked like he would break away after a Guttridge slip-up in central midfield.

Tomlinson scuffed one horribly wide at the end of a similar break on the hour-mark but Marcus Marshall really should have shot earlier in the move, and it symbolised Macclesfield’s lack of confidence that he did not.

As the away side committed more numbers forward, an increasing number of gaps appeared in their defence.

Akinfenwa sidefooted over after a counter-attack took advantage of one such gap, and with 10 minutes to go Blair Adams – who had been excellent all night – had a shot on the angle well held by the keeper.

The next goal, though, went to the visitors. Town took one chance too many when defending a break, and Tomlinson swept home from close-range to provide the away side with a glimmer of hope.

It ensured a nervous finish to the game for the healthy home crowd and the players on the field, and special mention has to go to Matt Duke for his calmness under pressure when dealing with a dangerous low cross in injury time. Now keen to get on with the game by this point, and almost made the most of the nerves in the home ranks as they coughed up a couple of needless free-kicks in their own half.

But the storm was weathered and Town proceeded to pick up another precious three points.

MERCEDES GP’s new car will allow the Brackley-based team to take “the next step forward” in on-track performance, according to boss Ross Brawn.

The squad revealed the 2012 Silver Arrow, the F1 W03, to the public at the first day of the second Formula 1 test in Barcelona yesterday, several weeks later than most of the other teams making up the 2012 grid.

Described by the team as “better packaged”, lighter and more efficient, the design includes the distinctive stepped-nose that has been adopted by most of the teams for the new season, but has proved controversial with fans and the media, many of whom have branded it “ugly”.

Team principal Brawn acknowledged potential criticism over the aesthetics of the new car, but said he believed it would enable the team to make a step forward on track in 2012.

He said: “The F1 W03 is a car that I believe, and hope, our team can be proud of, and which will deliver the on-track results everybody has worked so hard to achieve.

“Notwithstanding the distinctive nose design, which is certainly an acquired taste, the F1 W03 is an elegant interpretation of the current regulations, and a clear step forward over its predecessor in terms of detail, design and sophistication.

“Last year we produced a very bold car and, although its more radical elements didn’t always deliver the results we had hoped for, the experience we gained has been invaluable to the design of the 2012 car.

“The F1 W03 is also a more integrated package, which reflects the ever-strengthening ties between our technical teams in Brackley and Brixworth, and demonstrates our Silver Arrows works team is taking the next step forward in terms of on-track performance.”

Prior to unveiling the car yesterday, the team put it through simulation testing at its technical bases in Brackley and Brixworth, followed by a filming day limited to 100km at Silverstone last week, and a private test day in Barcelona on Sunday.

Driver Nico Rosberg was the first to get behind the wheel.

He said: “We have had a good start to our 2012 testing programme, and it was a great feeling to drive the first laps in the new F1 W03.

“The car looks good and is very nicely packaged under the bodywork. All the parts are in harmony, which reflects how well the different departments of our team are working together.

“From the beginning of our running we have been able to focus on understanding the car and making good progress with our test programme. It will be very interesting to learn more about where we stand in the next few weeks.”

Speaking ahead of the first day of the Barcelona test yesterday, F1 veteran Michael Schumacher also praised the new car.

He said: “I have done quite a few roll-outs and launches of new cars, but even after all these years, I must say it still feels special. Days like this are precious moments, as they are always filled with hope and anticipation.

“Already last week, when we were driving the F1 W03 for the very first time, it instantly gave us good feedback and sensations.

“Starting today we will work intensively to make it a competitive runner. Obviously we will only see over the next couple of weeks how big the step is that we have made, but I can say already the guys and girls back in the factories at Brackley and Brixworth were brilliant in putting in so much effort, and we can only say a big thank you to them.

“I know which reward they would like, and we will definitely try to deliver it. For my part I am eager to fight again, looking forward to the new season, and I can’t wait for it to begin.”

]]> 1.3545899 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:00:54 +0000 http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/westwood_hopeful_takeover_is_closer_1_3545890

ASHLEY WESTWOOD believes George Rolls is getting “closer and closer” to completing a takeover at Kettering Town.

The former Cambridge United chairman has been heavily linked to coming in at Nene Park to rescue the crisis-stricken Poppies who were beaten 3-1 at home by Forest Green Rovers last night.

They are less than a week away from a three-point deduction for failure to pay their football creditors and also have various other debts as well as a winding-up order from Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs hanging over their heads.

Rolls, who is involved at Southern League Premier Division side Weymouth, which is a club also subject to takeover talks, is thought to be interested in replacing current chairman Imraan Ladak.

And caretaker-manager Westwood confirmed Rolls is one of the potential candidates to take over at Nene Park.

“I know he is one of the potential new owners and he is working very hard to make it happen,” Westwood said.

“But until it happens, we have to keep trying to go forward.

“I am sure everyone is aware that he is one of those looking to do something and trying to get it done. If there is a deal to be done then I am sure he will do it, if not then who knows?

“He has told me he is doing his best to get it done and he is getting closer and closer as the days go by.

“I am sure when something is done he will tell me and then we can move forward.”

Westwood, meanwhile, insists Rolls has given him no indication of what would become of his position should the takeover go ahead.

“Obviously he hasn’t taken over yet so it would be hard for him to come in and tell me about my position,” Westwood added. “Until he has done anything, my position is as it was and I will just keep going.”

Meanwhile, Westwood said Forest Green Rovers’ early strike left Kettering Town with “a mountain to climb” last night.

The visitors struck from a corner after just 72 seconds at Nene Park and went on to complete a comfortable 3-1 win to leave the Poppies in desperate trouble at the wrong end of the Blue Square Bet Premier.

And Westwood said: “We gave ourselves a mountain to climb after the first minute. We conceded from a set-piece and that would give any manager nightmares really. You set up as best you can but that goal killed us.

“When the lads have had troubles and you go 1-0 down, the morale goes further down and it makes it that bit harder.

“They are the things we need to overcome.”

AIDY BOOTHROYD revealed he had ‘a bit of a moan’ at his Cobblers players after last night’s win over Macclesfield despite it being the side’s second win on the spin.

Town beat the Silkmen 3-2 which was enough to enhance their position at the foot of the npower League Two table, but did not lift them out of the bottom two.

Michael Jacobs, Luke Guttridge and Adebayo Akinfenwa got the goals that sank Macclesfield but it was an error-strewn display with a nervous finish, and one Boothroyd was not happy with.

“I had a bit of a moan at them after the game because we started so slowly,” he said.

“We were like a boxer waiting to be punched before we retaliated.

“It was one of those games where you’re never in any trouble – and I don’t mean that disrespectfully – I just didn’t think that we played very well.

“We allowed them into the game and when they score a goal like they did you start to think ‘oh no, we’ve been here before’. Goal difference could be the difference between us finishing higher up the table and it was just a bit sloppy.

“I’ve had my say and today we start preparing for Port Vale.”

Macclesfield got the nerves jangling for the home side by making the score 3-2 in the final minutes of the game, and debutant goalkeeper Matt Duke was called upon to show safe hands on a couple of occasions after that as the visitors threw everything they had at Town.

They held on for the three points and although Boothroyd did not feel his side were ever likely to lose the game, he was not happy with general performance level.

“I know we’re a little bit fragile and I know the crowd are quiet because they’re not sure what they’re going to get,” he said.

“We didn’t feel like we were in any danger but then you get to a stage where you start to concede sloppy goals.

“We should never have conceded those goals, they were very poor, and I think we could have scored a lot more than the three we did.

“I said after the Wimbledon game that we would play a lot worse than that and win and we did, in this game.”

]]> 1.3545885 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:02:04 +0000 http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/northampton_saints_pdj_out_to_claim_a_start_for_england_1_3545884

PAUL DORAN-JONES is hoping to get a starting spot for Saints to press his claims to be in the England side.

The Saints prop was called up as injury cover for David Wilson last week and is currently back in the England training camp as they prepare for Saturday’s Twickenham clash with Wales.

Doran-Jones won three caps for England in 2009, and is part of the England Saxons squad this season.

The 26-year-old is desperate to regain a place in the England team and feels a starting role for Saints would be a step in the right direction, with tough trips to London Irish and Saracens coming up.

Doran-Jones has not started for Northampton since January 6 in the home Premiership win over Harlequins, with Brian Mujati being preferred.

But the former Gloucester prop said: “Hopefully there will be a start in there for me over the next couple of games, we will see how it is.

“Obviously I am hopeful of getting into the England team, but I am still only there as injury cover, so I am just holding a bag at the moment.

“It is good to be involved, but it is also good to come back here at Northampton and hopefully it doesn’t effect my continuity.”

Doran-Jones joined Northampton as a prop who can play on both sides of the scrum, but he has mainly appeared at tighthead this season.

His versatility could be an asset in forcing his way into the England 22, with Saracens’ Matt Stevens the man on the bench behind starting props Dan Cole and Alex Corbisiero.

Doran-Jones is close to breaking through but knows starting for Saints over the next few games would really help.

Though being split with England duties means he has to work hard to keep his focus on Saints.

“Being away for the last couple of games it is about re-familiarising myself with what has changed at Northampton,” said Doran-Jones.

“Learning what is new and just getting the game plan back in my head.

“I felt good out there on Saturday and it was good to be back at Franklin’s Gardens, it feels like I haven’t played there for ages.”

]]> 1.3545884 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:00:54 +0000 http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/breaking_newnorthampton_saints_courtney_lawes_set_for_england_return_against_wales_1_3545400

Courtney Lawes looks set to return to the England side for Saturday’s Six Nations clash with Wales at Twickenham.

The Saints forward has been retained by England interim head coach Stuart Lancaster, while Stade Francais lock Tom Palmer is among the players who have been released back to their clubs.

Saints team-mate Calum Clark has been sent back to Franklin’s Gardens and will be available for the Premiership clash with London Irish on Sunday, but Northampton will have to do without Courtney Lawes to make it six players from the club on England duty this weekend

Lawes has played the last two matches for Saints after six weeks out with a knee injury that saw him mess the first two games of the Six Nations.

The Jimmy’s End giant is likely to be on the bench to face Wales, with Leicester lock Geoff Parling set to make his first Test start for England.

Parling is understood to have been promoted into the starting line-up along with Northampton scrum-half Lee Dickson and Scarlets number eight Ben Morgan, with Saints’ Phil Dowson dropping to the bench.

All three made an impact off the bench in England’s opening Six Nations victories over Scotland and Italy.

Palmer started both those games but he has been released by interim head coach Stuart Lancaster to play for Stade Francais this weekend.

Manu Tuilagi and Toby Flood are also back in England’s match-day squad for the first time in the tournament, with both Leicester players expected to start from the bench as Owen Farrell and Charlie Hodgson keep their places.

As a result, Harlequins full-back Mike Brown and centre Jordan Turner-Hall have dropped out of England’s 22-man squad.

Lancaster has also released Harlequins hooker Chris Brooker, Wasps scrum-half Joe Simpson and Leicester number eight Thomas Waldrom.

Lancaster said: “We’ve had a great two days of training and some difficult selection decisions with players coming back into the equation.

“There are some players who have missed out this time but their attitude in training has been outstanding.

“We will look forward to meeting again on Wednesday night with our match day 22 and finalising preparations for the game.”

Palmer is the biggest casualty and perhaps a victim of England not enjoying the lineout solidity they would have liked over the opening two rounds of the championship.

“We were nine from 11 in Scotland and 14 from 17 in Italy, wih sleet all over the ball against a very competent Italian pack,” said forwards coach Graham Rowntree.

“Not all of it was clean so I am looking to improve our delivery and certainly the tempo at which we go about our line-out.”

Lancaster will confirm his line-up to face Wales on Thursday morning.

Parling, who is expected to run the lineout, toured with England to Australia in 2010 but he returned home with a neck problem and then suffered a succession of knee injuries which kept him out of England contention until this season.

Dickson and Morgan have been in line for a promotion since their game-changing impact against Italy in Rome last week, when both players injected a much-needed tempo to England’s performance.

Ben Youngs has been struggling for form and is set to be named on the bench while Phil Dowson will cover all three back row positions.

While Dickson brings a zip and an energy to England’s game, Morgan’s powerful ball-carrying has impressed the management since his arrival in the national squad.

Given Morgan plys his club trade for the Scarlets, he has also been able to pass on some useful tips about the Welsh players.

“He knows those players. Ben’s got his own game to worry about. He has made giant strides with us in terms of his game development,” Rowntree said.

“He’s a very coachable man. He showed that coming off the bench in Italy in all parts of his game. I have been really impressed with him.”

England will go into the game without any specialist cover at wing or full-back, although Tuilagi could be pressed into action out wide if necessary.

]]> 1.3545400 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:56:21 +0000 http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/northampton_town_manager_facing_big_decision_as_cobblers_bid_to_record_back_to_back_wins_and_bolster_survival_hopes_1_3542310

AIDY BOOTHROYD won’t be making too many changes to his Town team sheet for tonight’s visit of a struggling Macclesfield side to Sixfields.

But he does have one major decision to make in a position that could prove vital in a game where a victory would drag the Silkmen into the scrap at the foot of the Football League.

Jake Robinson started the win over Wimbledon last Tuesday on the left wing and was replaced in the role by lively Liverpool loanee Toni Silva, whose run and shot led to Luke Guttridge’s decisive goal.

So Boothroyd faces a direct choice between a recent arrival who might be better against tired defences and a permanent member of staff whose confidence might be affected by coming out of the side.

It is a far cry from the early days of his Sixfields tenure, when the manager admits he used to wake up in the middle of the night and write out teams and combinations – it is unlikely that, after a win, the team will be changed too much.

However, there is at least one key decision to be made.

“I haven’t quite made my mind up but I’m grateful that I’ve got two or three players that can play that position and who offer us different things,” said the Cobblers boss, who has no fresh injury concerns and almost certainly knows 10 of his starting 11 for tonight.

“I think Jake Robinson is a very good player, he did very well last week before running out of steam because he’s not had a lot of games.

“It’s a nice situation to have two very talented players going for the one slot.”

Yesterday was a busy day in the secretary’s office, with forms completed on loan deals for goalkeeper Matt Duke until the end of the season.

Also likely to be on board until May will be Silva, whose extension of a one-month loan spell until the end of the season is being discussed by Boothroyd and the Liverpool coaching staff.

““If we only had him for a month then we might have a situation like we had with Saido (Berahino) where they keep their options open,” said Boothroyd

“So we’d like to get that one done quickly and get it all tied up and agreed.

“I would like all our loan players to be here until the end of the season, sometimes you have to do things on a month-to-month basis but at the stage we’re at now I do want to have some settled players, I don’t want people with an eye on anything else.

“When I can do that it means I can look further afield for next season while getting results.”

Silva showed enough in his 15-minute cameo against Wimbledon to suggest that he could be one of the finds of the season but he remains an unknown quantity.

That could be a problem when it comes to defensive duties, and Boothroyd is also keen to establish how he gets on when defenders take a more typical ‘league two approach’ to dealing with his talents.

“He will win us a game but equally he could put us in a position where we could lose a game because he is not experienced enough,” he said.

“He’s such a good player that we’ve got to find a way to get him in the team and if not then he can come off the bench and win us the game like he did the other night.

“One way to think about him is that he is best used off the bench but we had a practice game at Moulton on Wednesday against the youth team and he played in that.

“He got the ball in the same position he did against Wimbledon and instead of beating two or three players he beat seven and scored.

“He can go past people and no doubt people will try to kick him but if they do that then it’s a test of his temperament.

“Then they’ll double up on him and that will test his will. He has to learn that and understand there is another team there trying to stop him.”

FORMER British Boxing Board of Control general secretary John Morris believes the sport has been brought into disrepute by the brawl between Dereck Chisora and David Haye at a press conference at the weekend.

The British pair clashed at a post-fight news conference in Munich following Chisora’s defeat to Vitali Klitschko on Saturday night.

Chisora threatened to ‘shoot’ and ‘burn’ Haye, whose manager Adam Booth suffered cuts during a scuffle, and also accused the former world heavyweight champion of ‘glassing’ him.

Morris, who was secretary of the sport’s governing body between 1986 and 2000, said the scenes were ‘unsavoury’ and ‘unnecessary’ but stressed the safety of what is a quickly-growing pastime for youngsters around the county.

It is understood 15-20,000 amateur boxers are registered in this country and that number is rising.

“This is not the first time something like this has happened but it disgusted me,” said Morris, who is the founder and president of Northampton Amateur Boxing Club.

“There is no need for it and the sport has been brought into disrepute by what happened.

“I don’t know how much damage it will have done to the sport in the public’s mind, we have some fantastic boxers other than the two involved in this incident.

“It is excellent for kids and it is growing all the time. Up to a certain age it is a non-contact sport and it is far safer than a lot of the popular team sports such as football, rugby and cricket.

“But things like this are damaging.”

The actions of Haye and Chisora – who both face criminal charges in Germany – have been condemned across the board by the boxing fraternity and Morris agreed the punishment meted out needs to be harsh.

He also hopes the incident paves the way for the formation of a global governing body, especially as Chisora could obtain a license to fight abroad even if he is suspended by the BBBC.

“Firstly, you can’t suspend somebody for life, it has to be done sine die,” he said. “It can be difficult to enforce a ban like that because there isn’t a world body like in football or cricket.

“If you were to give Dereck Chisora a long ban he would most likely go to the United States and get a license to fight there.

“I campaigned in the 1990s to move to a controlling world organisation in professional boxing and that would be relevant now.

“ They would then have the option to suspend worldwide for a long period. In this instance there needs to be at least a one-year suspension and a very large fine.”

Cheshire Juniors 96- Northants Thunder 83: Big contributions from Piers Toone, Sam Round and Matt Yates weren’t enough to prevent Thunder from slipping to a Junior Men’s Premier Division North defeat against Cheshire Juniors last Saturday.

This defeat, the team’s fourth since Christmas, puts qualification for the end of season play-offs in the melting pot.

Thunder have five games remaining in the regular season and really need to win at least four of those and hope that other results go their way.

Round top-scored with 23 points, Yates added 20 and Toone supported well with 18 points.

Hemel Storm 60

Northants Thunder 76

THUNDER travelled home from Hertfordshire with mixed emotions after this Cadet Men’s Midland South Conference clash.

They were delighted that they had gained revenge for a 20-point defeat at the hands of Hemel earlier in the season, but disappointed they hadn’t been able to claw back the 20 point difference.

Thunder were boosted by the inclusion of Sam Round who finished with a 29-point haul including five, three-pointers and he received good support from Josh Elliott who scored 10 points.

Coach Rob Eddon was also full of praise for two under 15 players, Andre Arissol and Pauli Laurinolli. Arissol scored 12 points while Laurinolli contributed nine, a total matched by Ross Cairns.

Northants Thunder 61

Wellingborough Phoenix 72

Earlier in the season, Thunder lost to local rivals Wellingborough Phoenix by 22 points.

Last Sunday it was a much closer affair with the very tall and athletic Phoenix team prevailing in this Under 13 Boys Midland Conference clash 72-61.

The Round brother and sister combination of Jacob and Sarah scored 18 and 17 points respectively. Caitlin Stewart contributed 11 points a total matched by David Nieva.

Brentwood Fire 48

Northants Thunder 71

At the start of the season the inexperienced Northants team were butchered by an impressive Brentwood Fire outfit that persisted with their pressure defence even when leading by more than 50 points.

Last Saturday it was a very different state of affairs with several of the Brentwood players involved with a higher age group team while Thunder was able to field the influential Jacob Round and won this Under 12 Boys East of England League match.

Round was outstanding in scoring 48 points, while Zak Kitchen impressed with his 10 points and a clutch of rebounds.

ANOTHER week and yet more uncertainty, but the message from Kettering Town caretaker-manager Ashley Westwood is clear.

He is ensuring his and the players’ focus is on football and nothing else.

While the dire financial situation at Nene Park is showing no sign of relenting, the Poppies’ run of back-to-back wins in the Blue Square Bet Premier was ended in a 3-0 defeat at Barrow on Saturday.

It has left them third from bottom and still in a desperate fight to avoid relegation.

Former director Ken Samuel issued a rallying call to Kettering supporters to get themselves down to Nene Park for tonight’s re-arranged clash with Forest Green Rovers as he and other volunteers continue to try to raise funds to keep the club afloat, even though the crippling debts are threatening to destroy everything.

And, despite the weekend loss, Westwood believes his Poppies team are giving the fans something decent to watch and he insists they will continue to focus solely on their matches and leave the off-field issues to those who can control them.

“Hopefully the fans have seen the way we have been playing in the last two or three matches and hopefully seen a difference,” the caretaker-boss said. “I hope it encourages them to come down and watch. With their help, I believe we can get a good result.

“We are just here to play our matches and give it our best.

“We know people are working as hard as they can off the field to try to resolve the situation and that is their business.

“I have made a point of trying not to worry about it, simply because there isn’t a single thing I can do about those issues. The players and I will focus on the football and do the best we can with the resources available.”

Westwood felt his team were hard done by in Cumbria. A 3-0 scoreline looked convincing for the hosts but it didn’t tell the full story as the Poppies missed chance-after-chance when they trailed by just a single goal.

It was a game Westwood hopes they learn from.

“We have had five clear-cut chances and if we had stuck one of them away we might have been in the ascendancy,” he said.

“It looked like we got well beaten in the end when that wasn’t the case but it’s clear what we need to put right for the game tonight.

“The attitude was spot on as it has been since I have been here.

“It was a long journey and there was no-one moping around.

“We gave it our all but didn’t convert our chances and it was one of those days where we didn’t have any luck.”

Jon Dunham

JIM MALLINDER says Lee Dickson deserves to start for England against Wales at Twickenham on Saturday.

After an impressive 30-minute shift off the bench in England’s win against Italy in Rome, Dickson is closing in on Ben Youngs’ starting spot.

And Saints director of rugby Mallinder feels Dickson is ready to step up to a starting role after winning his first two caps as a replacement in the first two games of the Six Nations, which sees England level on points at the top of the table with Wales.

Mallinder said: “I definitely think Lee Dickson deserves his chance for what he has done for us this season, and from what he has done in his short time on the field with England in the Six Nations.

“He upped the tempo against Italy last week, or helped towards that, and I would like to see him having a chance to start.”

It would complete a remarkable turnaround in fortunes for Dickson, who for so long has been ignored not just by England, but by the Saxons as well.

He was not part of the ill-fated World Cup squad at the start of the season, but Danny Care’s ban for drink-driving and Richard Wigglesworth’s injury saw him called up by new interim head coach Stuart Lancaster for the Six Nations.

He immediately jumped ahead of Wasps’ Joe Simpson, who was at the World Cup in New Zealand, to win a place on the bench and now he could take over from Leicester’s Youngs, who has been England’s number one scrum-half for the best part of 18 months.

Mallinder is not surprised by how well Dickson has taken to the international arena, with the 26-year-old a vocal member of the Saints side.

“He is a cheeky chappy, but he is quite mature,” said Mallinder.

“Lee has a sensible head on his shoulders. He is one of our leaders and senior players.

“He plays like that every week for us, he has a real good understanding of the game and has worked hard on some parts of his game.

“His kicking has improved and his ability to get the ball away is outstanding.

“I just think a nine like Dickson would help the England cause.

“He is a livewire in attack and defence, he communicates so well with the team. They respect that and that all helps.”

THE mother of former Cobblers’ trainee Richard Butcher has urged the town to get behind the team as it fights to avoid relegation from the football league.

Richard Butcher died from an undiagnosed heart condition in January 2011, aged 29.

Gail Butcher, who will attend the match at Sixfields tonight against Mr Butcher’s final club, Macclesfield Town, said she found it impossible to know who to support out of the two, given both clubs’ significance in her son’s career.

Tickets for this week’s matches, against Macclesfield tonight and Port Vale on Saturday, have been discounted to £10 for adults and £5 for children. Forty per cent of the price will go to the Chronicle & Echo’s and Macmillan Cancer Support’s fund-raising for the new haematology unit at Northampton General Hospital.

But she urged Cobblers fans to back their local team, saying the club needed them now more than ever.

She said: “I want to see as many people there as possible. Football clubs need fans behind them. Whether times are good or bad, they need support there. I think it gives them a bit more encouragement and uplift. I don’t believe in booing or moaning. Fans need to get behind the team and cheer them on.

“I think negativity does rub off on players,” she added. “I’ve experienced, with Richard, when things are not going right, and I think it can play a big part in a team having a run of losing games.”

Of tonight’s match, she said: “It’s going to be quite a difficult game for me. I don’t want Northampton to lose, but I don’t want Macclesfield to lose either. It’s such a big game for us as a family.”

The club has confirmed the discounted tickets will also be available to buy on arrival at the game tonight and on Saturday.